Harrison Street Coffee Shop

Vegetarian breakfast and lunch cafe. Funky atmosphere with eclectic selection of books to read. Brunch on Saturday with an expanded breakfast. Local college hangout near Virginia Commonwealth University. Open Mon-Fri 8:00am-5:00pm, Sat-Sun 10:00am-5:00pm.

I can't believe they have so many good reviews. The place is disgusting. - Edit

I am amazed at all these great reviews. When I first had their french toast I was in heaven.... then I tried something else that was horrible and poorly made, then something else with the same experience. The layout is horrible which makes it hard to decide I want to eat there. Then if I do decide it is worth it, I sit down & start noticing how disgusting the place is. The staff is beyond nonchalant as far as caring about service and quality of the food. When sitting on the second floor, I could see their poor hygiene habits in the make-shift kitchen where they were eating on the food-making station (the long cutting board thing) and then not washing their hands, making food, handling money.

Our family stopped here for lunch and were very pleased. The kids had the vegan French toast, which was fantastic. They also liked the soysauge patties. I had the fried tofu steak with vegan potato salad and my husband had a BBQ tofu sandwich with gazpacho and it was all very tasty. The place is not entirely vegan but everything that is is clearly labeled and there are plenty of vegan options. Our food arrived quickly and everything was hot and fresh. The prices were fair...$38 for 4 meals including tax and tip. We got some baked goods (blondes and a chocolate chip cookie) to go, and they were a bit lackluster. Next time we'd skip the desserts but I would definitely come back and really recommend this place if you're in the area.

This weekend was only my second time visiting but both times there was such a good vibe from the place. It has vegan and vegetarian options and the menu is pretty clear about what's what. The vegan tofu and soysage breakfast burrito is really yummy and the staff is friendly. It's popular with limited hours tho so sometimes it's a little crowded. Clearly a well loved place. It can be a little confusing with a bit of a wait but still a yummy veg option.

I recently travelled to Richmond to visit a dear friend and had lunch with her at Harrison Street. She's been there many times and it is one of her favorite places to eat in the city.
She gave me a bite of her Red Lentil Burger and it was so delicious! Packed with lots of interesting and delicious curry flavors, I definitely would order it next time. I got the Tofu Steak Sandwich with the ginger miso sauce and it was equally delicious and amazing. Mine came with a small salad with a sunflower tahini dressing and some in-house made lemonade.
The food ended up being so good that when I was getting ready to travel home the next day, I stopped in again to get food for the trip home. They have several pre-made sandwiches and salads in the cold case as well as many vegan pastries ready to take away. I got the Vegan Curry Chik'n Salad sandwich, two vegan chocolate chip walnut cookies, and a vegan chocolate peanut butter cup. Everything was extremely reasonably priced (I live closer to New York City so I was floored by the $5 sandwich being absolutely incredible) and very delicious. I would definitely go again next time I'm in town!

The food was terrible, the restaurant was dirty and employees served food and took cash without washing hands or using gloves. How do they pass health inspections? I will not go there again! My French Toast was burnt, the vegan sausage was horrible! Not vegan or vegetarian because the sugar is Dominos bottom of the line refined sugar filtered through animal bones!

The perfect spot for a quick sandwich, breakfast burrito or coffee. The vegan chocolate peanut-butter cups are really really good and the pre-made vegan tuna salad sandwiches are a deal and satiate my tuna cravings.

I used to hang out here a bit in college but by the time I went vegan years later I'd rather forgotten about it... sad it took me so long to go back! They have SO many delicious vegan options, including baked goods at the counter (The peanut butter cups are heavenly). The Full Throttle Chipotle Zeppelin and Tempeh Reuben are my favorite sandwiches so far. You may have to fight for parking but it's well worth it. The array of reading options available upstairs (including a plethora of local zines) is also top notch.

Driving down from DC to Richmond for work is a pain. Coming to the Harrison Street Coffee Shop made it all worth it. I wish I had more time to sample all they provided but I guarantee that my next visit will longer. This place is bound to be my version of Cheers.

Tried this place for the first time with the whole family.
Small little coffee shop, close to VCU. Amazing food. We tried the spicy tempeh sub (nice kick) with side salad, an omelette breakfast sandwich for the egg eater, and another tempeh type sandwich. Everything was delicious! No idea how they make such great food in such a tiny kitchen!
Coffee is also excellent- nice selection of lattes/cappucinos,et. all made with non dairy milks.
Lots of ways to customize your meal, to make it vegan if you choose, pick your sides. We will return (though probably for takeout, since it's tiny for a group of 4)
You do need to order at the front and pay before sitting- good to check the menu before you arrive.

Pros: Great food/good for mixed parties, able to customize meals, Good prices

Harrison Street Coffee Shop has something on the menu called a Popeye burrito. It's all vegan egg, sausage, spinach, and hot sauce and it's the most amazing thing I've ever eaten. They have a hodgepodge of vegan treats for breakfast, lunch, and dessert. Their coffee is excellent as well.

The cafe itself is inside a typical Fan building; the building is old and feels dingy. Not the most charming atmosphere. Most of the patrons are college students as the shop sits on the VCU campus and so it can be difficult to find parking. But it's the perfect place to go for a quick bite or carry out especially if you're already in the area. The food is out of this world!

I've only been to Harrison Street twice and each time I've really enjoyed it. I got tofu sandwiches both times (two variations on the theme) and they were huge and tasty, plenty to take home for later snackin'. Mostly I really like the vibe of this place. Yeah, it's student-heavy (it is basically on the VCU campus) but so what? Good people watching and you can hang out for hours. Service was good for me, too.

Stopped by at 11:30 AM on a Saturday to find a closed sign on the store but saw employees and customers inside. I opened the door and an employee told me they were closed because they lost power. I asked if I could purchase a blondie and/or brownie since I had cash. I was told very rudely that they were closed and they wouldn't sell me anything.

My husband and I got the vegan burrito and vegan French toast to share. We needed up ordering a second plate of French toast because they were so good. The only thing is next time I'll ask them not to put sugar on them because it's not necessary.
It is a funky place with limited seating but we've always gotten a seat. I also recommend the vegan blondes.

Have some tasty sandwiches and dinners. Breakfast is ok. Constantly changing hours revolve around college schedule. A Richmond stand-out for being all vegetarian. Vegans will have an easy time finding something to eat too.

I eat here for lunch once a week. The menu has tons of options, 90% of which can be made vegan. Menu varies from tempeh, to tofu, to seitan, to burgers made from grains, veggies, lentils, falafel, etc. The homemade soups are very delicious. So much to choose from! You won't be disappointed! This is a must-visit spot if you are new to Richmond or just stopping through.

Been going there since about 2002 or 2003. Love it. Now that I've moved away, I make it a point to stop by there and get a black bean hummus wrap and a peanut butter cup or piece of pie whenever I drive through RVA. Or I will take a detour if I am not going through RVA. It is absolutely necessary.

First timer! The staff is super nice. I was having trouble deciding what to order because everything looked so good. I asked the cashier what her favorite item on the menu was and she said the red lentil burger. So that is what I ordered to go. The burger came on a grilled Kaiser roll with lettuce, tomato, sprouts, and a delicious curry veganaise sauce. Service was very fast. The burger was huge. Was only able to get through half of it but I enjoyed every yummy bite. I also ordered a fantastic vegan blondie. I couldn't help it... the taste was orgasmic. This is definitely my new favorite place. Atmosphere is pretty cool and hip. Tell a friend. Run, drive, bike... just get there now!

Harrison Street Cafe is small and rustic in a sort of grungy hipster way.. but that's good. The coffee is delicious. The food is yummy. I actually miss this place. I would highly recommend it to anyone visiting. You should experience it. Try the T.L.T. or Beer Battered Tofu sandwich!